


Cracking shells

by Konwaliawrites



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Fluffy, Literally one sentence mention of Knuxouge, M/M, Shadow the vet, Silly, Sonic loves his chicks, farmer au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-06-17 06:26:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15455322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Konwaliawrites/pseuds/Konwaliawrites
Summary: Sonic is a young, cheerful chicken farmer. He loves a lot of things, but mostly running, his chickens, and sharing his happiness. Shadow is a grumpy veterinarian, but a charming one nonetheless. Hop on for a funny and fluffy love story of these two.





	Cracking shells

It was going to be a really good day; Sonic was sure of that ever since the first crow that caused his awakening. Bright, unusually warm for the end of September, sunrays peeked through the window next to his bed in his room. The golden glow of autumn leaves from the outside looked so beautiful combined with the light wood his house was made of.

Peach arms stretched and the blue hedgehog yawned happily, already looking forward to his plans for today.

 ... Which weren't much different from what he did the day before or even two days ago, but it didn't make it any less enjoyable.

 He got up from the bed, made it neatly and ran downstairs to start his routine.

 "Opal, Pumpkin, Jazz, Peanut, Saph! You awake already? Morning!" He yelled, even though he was fully aware there was no way he could get a reply from any of them.

 

When he stepped inside his living room, joy filled his heart.

 

His chickens cuddled together on the brown couch, beautiful cobalt glow shining on their black feathers. They looked sleepy and content, curled together on top of the blanket he left on the couch. As soon as they heard their owner’s footsteps, they opened their eyes to look at him. Joy was clearly visible in their body language as they flew down from the couch and ran up to Sonic.

 "Hey guys! Slept well?" He laughed a little as he fell to the ground, trying to cuddle with all of his pets at once - which isn't exactly an easy task when you have five energetic chickens clinging to you - but it didn't mean he shouldn't at least try.

Playful nibbles and happy chirps, combined with the soft feeling of feathers made him feel alive.

He stayed like this, just playing with his friends until he decided to look in the direction of the kitchen that was connected to his living room. Once his eyes spotted a clock on the wall, he noticed it showed 7:20 in the morning.

 

Hesitantly he got up, careful not to make any chicken fall off of him.

 

"Okay fellas, as much as I would love to keep cuddling and playing, my diet could use a little food. Anybody up for breakfast?" He said softly, and only several excited chirps were the response, little animals already knowing the routine by heart.

Sonic made his way to the fridge and started preparing himself some pancakes. After he was done, he reached inside the fridge again and pulled out five bowls one by one and placed them on the counter.

He smirked, already knowing what's about to happen.

 

"Time to feast, guys!"

 

As soon as he placed the bowls on the floor, the chirping got more intense. His companions hastily made their way to the much desired food, two of them even going so far as to fly toward them, some tiny loose obsidian feathers dancing in the air. The blue speedster noticed that everybody got to enjoy their food and decided to grab his own pancakes and sit at the table, silently wishing his flock did not pick this particular spot on the floor as their favorite place to eat. Eating together at the table would be much more fun, but for some reason, his feathery friends liked this specific part of the floor and no other spot seemed to do the trick.

 

Sonic sighed. Animals can be so complicated.

Then again, mobians aren't much better.

 

Yesterday he got yet another letter from a company that asked for a couple of fertile eggs. The opened paper still lay on the table and continued to ruin his appetite.

No matter how many times he declined, there will always be yet another company that will try its luck.

Even though he really shouldn’t stress himself out and read the letter again, his eyes glued to the text.

 

_Dear Sonic the hedgehog,_

_We have noticed that you pride yourself in taking great care of such a rare and beautiful breed that Ayam Cemani is. One of our workers drove by your farm recently and they were absolutely delighted by how well kept and healthy looking they are. As you are probably already aware, eggs of Ayam Cemani, especially high grade ones, are extremely rare and we are willing to pay a great price for them. We would be interested in purchasing ten fertile eggs from your farm. Please let us know if you are interested in the bargain and name your price._

_Best regards,_

_Eggman Enterprises_

 

Same as yesterday, a look of disgust made its way to his face. He will never sell his chickens, ever. Or their babies. He knew perfectly well in what conditions other farms kept their chickens and Eggman Enterprises was the worst of them all. He will never let any of his babies set their tiny feet in there, no matter what money they would promise to him. Of course he knew his chickens were rare; he knew everything about them, he grew up with them. After all, this was the species that have been bred and taken care of in his family for decades, and he had no intention of treating them as a source of business. Despite not being willing to gain profit using his friends, there was still some money coming from non-fertile eggs, otherwise he wouldn't be able to pay for the bills and food. But breeding, not knowing what will happen to his babies once they are out of his house... it scared him.

 

Knowing that he won’t bother replying to the letter like it was asked of him, Sonic tore the piece of paper, crumbled the remaining pieces together and threw it across the room. Suddenly, his pancakes tasted a whole lot better, despite getting slightly cold.

 When the blue hedgehog was done with his food, he put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and proceeded with his morning routine of getting ready for yet another day of work on the farm.

He looked in the mirror in his bathroom, noticing his clothes will need some repairing later. His light denim dungarees were torn in way too many places to count, red plaid shirt underneath looking a tad bit better but not too great. His shoes seemed to still be in good condition though, apart from them being dirty all over from mud, of course.

 

“Okay,” the blue boy smiled to himself, fixing brown gardening gloves on his hands, “time to start the day.”

 

The following several hours were filled with farm work; lots of sweeping and adding new hay, cleaning up floors and food bowls, making sure the female part of the flock had everything they needed. And, of course, picking up eggs. This part was especially important, as he knew that today miss Vanilla was going to pick up her usual pack of ten eggs.

 Sonic put them in a carton, which then he placed on the table in front of his house. And then he ran back to the coop.

 

“Hello, ladies!” The blue hedgehog yelled and again, spent another few minutes playing until he heard a yell from the outside.

 

“Mr. Sonic!” The familiar voice of Miss Vanilla reached him, “Good morning!”

 He ran out fast from the coop and in the blink of an eye, he was already standing in front of the fence with a carton of eggs.

 “There you go, Miss Vanilla! I just finished packing them, they should be great!” The hedgehog smiled, proud with himself.

 “Thank you kindly! Here you go,” she handles Sonic a couple of rings, to which the blue hedgehog reacts with a shake of his head.

 “My treat this time, okay? Everyone knows it’s good to get free food every now and then. Have a great day and please, tell Cream I said hi!”

 “I’ll make sure to do so! Once again, thank you very much. I’ll make sure to bring some chocolate cake next week to make up for it.” She gave the boy a warm smile, “Have a nice Friday!”

“You too! Take care!” Sonic waved off and then, miss Vanilla started walking away.

 

Well, all of his farm tasks were done for now, which meant he could focus on doing what he likes most.

The blue hedgehog grabbed a pack of oats from his kitchen and then ran back to the hen coop.

 

“All right chicks, catch me if you can!”

 

The coop doors opened wide, allowing all of the birds to run onto an open field. They were trying really hard to catch up with Sonic, but given his speed it always turned out to be impossible.

Usually, the blue boy would slow down on purpose, letting his pets have fun along with him, but today, the wind felt so great, the sun felt so warm… he needed to enjoy the moment _his_ way this time. He threw a handful of oats onto the ground to make up for it.

 

He felt so free. Even though he lived alone in this big house, surrounded by even bigger field, he felt so happy and content and not alone at all in that very moment. Everything was so warm and knowing that winter was going to be here soon, he decided to savor all of it.

The blue speedster ran through the fields, leaving his farm a while ago, then entering the forest. The beauty of gold and red danced in front of his eyes, leaves looking like tiny sparks as they floated on the wind due to his velocity. His hands touched the soft grass, his quills felt so great with the the wind going through them.

 

This was the life. Sheer happiness.

 

As long as his life could stay the way it is now, he would be a happy man.

 

It wasn’t always like that. Losing his mother at an early age, his father a few years later… He couldn’t help but miss them. Their smiles, their love. They left him with so much and they taught him so much, and he tried to do his best to appreciate it every day, but if anybody asked him if he misses them, he would still say he does.

At some point, he realized that the best thing he can do is enjoy his life for their sake.

And he does.

 

The beeping noise of his wristwatch brought him out of his thoughts and he smiled at that. This alarm could mean only one thing: his favorite veterinarian was going to visit the farm soon for the checkup. Sonic sped back to the farm.

And true, as soon as he came back, he noticed already a  very familiar red car. The doors opened up, allowing the dark hedgehog to walk out and close the doors. As always, he looked overly serious, with his typical white vet coat and backpack - filled with some weird stuff he had no idea about - nearly put the stiffness over the top.

 

Sonic knew better than to be affected by that, though.

 

“Shadster!” the blue hedgehog ran up to the obsidian hedgehog, wrapping his arms around him, which caused the other to blush slightly and then, as he already expected him to, yell at him.

“Oh, come on! How many times did I tell you not to do that?!” His words sounded serious, but after so many years of associating with the other, Sonic knew there was nothing to be worried about.

 

Though the dark hedgehog was socially awkward, Sonic knew that if you look past this shell, he had truly mesmerizing personality.

 

“Well, I stopped counting past the 10th time to be honest. The least I can do to show my gratitude to someone who continues to help my friends over the years, right?” Sonic smirked at Shadow, taking a few step back, but still admiring the soft, barely spotted tint of pink that came across the black hedgehog’s cheeks.

“Fifty rings for the appointment is more than enough gratitude, thank you very much,” the veterinarian replied and crossed his arms, “and over the years still nothing changed. My name is still Shadow.”

“Seriously, you’re still bugged about that nickname? I came up with so many already, you’d think you would stop caring at some point. Shads, Shadster, Shady boy, Spikes, Drama Quee-“

 

A rough hit to his shoulder did not let him finish that sentence. A pained yelp was the only sound he could make at that moment really.

 

“T-the roos are in the living room…” Sonic said breathlessly after regaining his composure, covering the hurt spot with his other hand. Shadow simply smirked at the sight and made his way inside the house, Sonic following right after.

 

He looked at each of the dark chickens very carefully, ruffling their feathers softly through his white gloved hands.

 

“Well, their feathers are soft and shiny as always, which does not surprise me with your diet, but they could use a little bit of nail trimming. Please take the hens back to the coop so I can inspect them later as well,” the black hedgehog said calmly and pulled a nail clipper out of his backpack. He began his work, utterly grateful that Sonic taught his pets to be okay with nail clipping. This made his job a whole lot easier.

 

Sonic, on the other hand, took a few seconds to admire the other hedgehog. There was a small smile on his face and he handled each of his friends with such care and affection. He stared longingly at the dark figure for another second before proceeding with his task.

 

Which wasn’t exactly the easiest thing to do, but when you have tasty treats and you’re the fastest thing alive, it suddenly doesn’t come out as difficult as it could be. Still, several scratches on his arms confirmed it could have gone better. Around ten minutes later Sonic was back in his house and Shadow seemed to be just chilling on the couch, done with his work. One of the chickens, Opal to be precise, had gained quite a liking to the dark hedgehog and decided to sit on his lap. Shadow absentmindedly stroke soft feathers and he seemed to be lost in thought, because he did not pay any attention to Sonic entering the house at all.

Sonic smiled warmly at the sight, unable to believe how great today was. He felt like he was on top of the world.

“Hey, Doc,” he said with confidence, leaning against the doorframe in a teasing way, hoping to offer eye candy for the other hedgehog, “All of the lady chickens are back in the house, I suppose you wanna take a look at them now?”

 

Well, his plan worked somewhat, because as soon as the black hedgehog turned his eyes to look at Sonic he did look a little mesmerized. A little, and only for a second, but Sonic wouldn’t miss it for the world.

The dark hedgehog stopped playing with Opal’s midnight feathers and gently put the animal aside, then got up from the couch.

 

“Alright.”

 

Half an hour later, all of the animals got inspected and as usual, there were no complications to their state.

Which made Sonic both happy and sad. Happy that his family was safe, but sad that the charming hedgehog was about to leave.

 

Throughout the five years that they have known each other, Sonic never bothered hiding his interest in the obsidian hedgehog. He always tried his hardest to rile the other up with his teasing, enjoying the rare moments when the other hedgehog laughed at another ridiculous joke, every single time hoping Shadow would stay longer after his duties were over. Even though he knew the black hedgehog didn’t consider them friends and kept Sonic at a distance, the blue farmer couldn’t help but notice how much the other had warmed up to him throughout the years. He didn’t seem to mind a little closeness anymore, and even though he sometimes would act all worked up over Sonic’s attitude, the blue hedgehog could see how he was turning his head away or biting the inside of his cheeks to prevent the other from seeing him smiling.

As expected, Shadow left the coop, Sonic following right after and closing the door.

 

“Alright, that’ll be 25 rings. Cash or card?”

 

“25, you say? I thought you wanted 50. And cash, although I forgot I left my wallet in the living room, so if you could be so kind as to come back with me to the house…”

 

The black hedgehog rolled his eyes in response. Of course.

 

“Well, if you insist, I don’t really have to give you a discount. Also of course you ‘forgot’ your wallet, Blue, why does it not surprise me. But sure, let’s play your little game.”

 

“So you _do_ admit you gave me a sympathy discount! It’s my dashing good looks, isn’t it?”

 

“With all those holes in your clothing, mud on your shoes and sweat stench coming from you? Oh yeah, definitely.”

 

“Hey!”

 

The dark hedgehog smirked, happy to put the blue joker back in his place, “I win, blue boy. Sure, let’s go back for that wallet.”

 

Shadow couldn’t help but enjoy a childish pout that made its way to Sonic’s face, combined with Sonic speeding to the door in an angry manner and opening it, allowing Shadow to walk through. Without a word, the blue hedgehog reached for his wallet on the tea table next to the couch and pulled out a couple of tiny rings.

 

“Here, have your stinkin’ money…”

 

A slight chuckle from the dark hedgehog was his only response.

“Not as stinky as a certain hedgehog I know, but thank you. I appreciate it greatly. See you next week, I assume?”

 

“Well, yeah. That, or you could stay a little longer, I could make some tea…” Sonic was back to his old self, a flirty smirk back on his face.

 

“Stop dreaming, hedgehog. You don’t even know what type of tea I like, for a first. Second, you’re not my only client, you know.”

 

“Aww, but I’m definitely your favorite one!”

 

“Hardly, don’t flatter yourself.”

 

“I think you flattered me well enough, no need for me to add anything extra. Anyway, you don’t even know what types of tea I have! Maybe something will pick your interest,” Sonic made his way to the kitchen and reached inside the cupboard on the wall above the counter, inspecting the insides. “Green, white, pu-erh, masala chai, hibiscus… any of that sounding fancy enough for ya?”

 

The dark hedgehog crossed his arms, feeling victorious, “Oh yeah, quite. But still nowhere near wooing me. Sorry, Blue.”

 

“Awwh, just tell me and next week I’ll have it nice and steamy waiting for ya!”

 

“There’s no need for all that, and especially no need for you to know more about me. It’s not something I casually allow while interacting with my clients.”

 

“But I’m not just any client, right?” Sonic walked up to the dark hedgehog, “I’m that blue dork you’ve known and loved for five years in a row!” He exclaimed and put a hand on Shadow’s shoulder, admiring the soft blush on his tan muzzle.

 

“You’re ridiculous!”

 

“You got that right,” Sonic admitted happily.

 

“… I refuse to deal with this nonsense,” Shadow said, at last making his way to leave, much to Sonic’s displeasure.

However, as he was standing in the doorframe, he turned back to the blue speedster.

 

“Oolong. Make it ready for 11a.m. _sharp_. Don’t be late.”

 

Happiness made its way back to Sonic’s heart and his face clearly told Shadow he accepted the challenge.

 

“Same to you.”

 

Chaos, he already couldn’t wait for next Friday morning.

 

The following week was filled with excitement for Sonic, which made him wonder whether or not he was acting overhyped over the entire situation. It was just Shadow staying over for the tea, nothing else. He didn’t even mention how long he would stay.

 

Then again, he finally managed to get the veterinarian to spend time with him and it made Sonic so, so happy. He wanted them to become friends, perhaps even more than that if the other hedgehog would allow. Their Friday meeting definitely seemed like a good place to start all that.

 

Most of Thursday was a blur, filled with shopping to get the tea Shadow asked for – who knew one type of tea could taste so different, and was it really necessary to buy four different brands of the same tea? Sonic wasn’t so sure, but just to be safe he decided to buy them all, among with some biscuits they could eat along with it.

 

When Friday morning finally came, Sonic didn’t even need Saph to wake him up with his crowing – Sonic himself let out an excited squeal that sounded _very_ much like a crow of his feathery friends.

 

Desperate for time to fly faster, he sped through the day with his routine, very often catching himself daydreaming. However, when he noticed 10 a.m. on the clock, he ran back to the house to get ready.

 

A long shower later and the blue speedster stood in front of a mirror, dressed up in a neat white shirt and black pants. Seriously, why was he getting so nervous anyway? He saw the other hedgehog every single week for five years by now and still, he couldn’t help but feel as if he’s going to meet Shadow for the very first time.

 

Sonic went back downstairs and decided to sweep all the black feathers that had gathered on the wooden floor. He also made sure to change the litter and after that was done, he spoke to his flock.

 

“Okay guys, so today is _really_ important to me. My ass is literally on the line here, so one crow at the wrong moment and you can all forget popcorn for the next two weeks,” the farmer voiced an empty threat, however, his friends did not seem to care.

 

The blue hedgehog heard a knock, which caused him to freeze for a second, before looking at his wristwatch. 11 a.m. Sharp.

 

He swallowed in a way too audible manner. He could only hope the black hedgehog didn’t hear the sound through the door.

 

“Coming!” Sonic yelled, trying to sound confident.

 

As soon as he opened the door, he forgot all the negative feelings that piled up in him since this morning. He smiled at the other hedgehog, noticing how beautiful he looked. Today, he wore a long sleeved, red checkered shirt that matched the stripes on his quills so perfectly, and, much like himself, black denim pants. It was such a nice change to his usual white, long coat. The white gloves he always wore during animal examinations were gone from his hands, giving Sonic a chance to examine soft fingers that were normally hidden all this time.

There was a simple golden bracelet on Shadow’s left hand, too.

 

“Hello there, gorgeous,” the blue hedgehog said happily, to which Shadow simply rolled his eyes. Sonic the Hedgehog was many things, but ‘subtle’ was definitely not on the list.

 

“Don’t make me change my mind.”

 

A short laugh was Sonic’s only response. He moved aside from the door frame, allowing Shadow to step inside.

 

“I had no idea which one you would like, so just make your pick?” Sonic pointed to four various tea boxes sitting on the tiny wooden table.

 

“Did you really have to buy all four? I’m sure that money could go somewhere more beneficial and besides, I don’t really care.”

 

Sonic simply shrugged at that, “Well, I was just trying to please my guest. Just pick whichever and I’ll go prepare it.”

 

“Fine, but just so you know, it wasn’t ready for 11 a.m. sharp. I cannot hide my disappointment in you, my dear host.” The dark hedgehog teased.

 

“It _would_ be if I knew in advance there were so many versions of the thing!”

 

Shadow chuckled at that and handed a box at random to Sonic.

 

A few minutes later, they were sitting on the couch with teacups in their hands, and both of them just felt so... content. Today was a little colder than last Friday, but still very enjoyable.

 

“So, there is a question I’ve always been curious to ask,” Sonic started, and Shadow’s eyes focused on the blue hedgehog, encouraging him to continue, “you’ve probably heard it a million times, but why veterinary medicine of all fields?”

 

The black hedgehog looked uneasy, like it was a touchy topic for him, but he didn’t reject the idea of answering the question.

 

“Well… it started at a very young age, truth be told,” Shadow replied, blowing a little air into his cup to cool down the steamy liquid before continuing, “I think I’ve always had a passion for animals. A lot of humans, and even mobians, look down on them and it’s truly upsetting. Especially in the case of mobians. Just because we won the genetic lottery in the process of evolution doesn’t mean that smaller, less intelligent lives are irrelevant to the world. Of course, not everyone is like that; there are more people like me – people who love their animals, give them care, and hate seeing them sick or hurt. When I first experienced the pain of losing a pet of mine simply because the medicine was not advanced enough yet to help them through their disease… I think that was when I realized I want to, at least partially, prevent things like that from happening to other people. At that time I was at the age of twelve and nobody took my plans seriously, but I’ve held onto them for all of these years and now, here I am. Saving animals like I wanted to. Of course, it doesn’t always work out; sometimes it’s too late, sometimes money becomes an issue and sometimes it’s simply an outcome of neglect, other times I simply fail, but… I always try my hardest.”

 

“Wow… That is such a kind motive to have. I bet your parents are really proud of you!”

 

Shadow’s gaze turned sad and Sonic immediately regretted his words.

‘Good job, insensitive jerk,’ the blue hedgehog thought to himself, worrying it will cause the other hedgehog to close up.

That wasn’t the case, however.

 

“You are as far away from the truth as you can be, actually. My parents work for the military and were hoping I would follow their footsteps. They never accepted my career path.”

 

“That’s ridiculous! Well then, if they are not proud of you, I can tell you _I_ am, that’s for sure! You help saving lives in your own way and it’s really outrageous that they do not see that.”

 

The angry pout on Sonic’s face, combined with his kind words, warmed up Shadow’s heart and he found himself smiling at the sensation. Just a little, but it didn’t go unnoticed as Sonic blushed and looked away, flustered.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Shadow took a sip of his tea, now that the steam was gone. A pleasant, sweet aftertaste definitely helped lift his mood.

 

“How about you? Where did the inspiration to become a farmer come from? Especially Ayam Cemani of all possibilities. Those are extremely rare and if I may, a huge pain in the ass to perform a surgery on due to the fibromelanosis.”

 

“Well, this place has been passed on in my family for generations, really. My father and grandfather specialized in breeding Ayam Cemani and I remember being surrounded with these little guys ever since… pretty much forever. My dad was the one to introduce me to the work, he taught me everything I know. He encouraged me to take over the farm someday if I decided it will make me happy. I really loved spending time helping out here, the chickens we raised never failed to brighten my day, such loving little creatures. When I turned twenty I let my father know I had decided to take over the farm after all.” Sonic scratched his ear nervously as he waited for the response from the other hedgehog.

 

“I see…” Shadow’s gaze was fixed on the blue farmer, focus reflecting in ruby eyes, “We have completely different backstories. How do you think your father would act if you decided there was something else you wanted to do in life?”

 

Shadow took yet another sip of tea from his cup, observing how the other hedgehog was thinking about what he’s going to say next.

 

“Hmm…” Sonic looked up at the ceiling for a few seconds, trying to find the right words, “I think he would accept it. Yeah, he would be sad, but he would accept it eventually. He always made it clear that above all else, he just wants me to be happy. And I think that goes for everyone, really. Humans, mobians, animals… we all live to be happy. We have so much in common, but in everyday life so many of us insist on only looking at what’s different.”

 

Shadow’s expression turned into something soft, something Sonic couldn’t quite explain but definitely enjoyed seeing. The veterinarian let out a quiet sigh.

 

“True.”

 

It was the blue hedgehog’s turn to take a sip of his tea this time. The taste was new to him and he liked it.

 

“Wow, this thing really is nice. Someone’s got a good taste over here,” Sonic said with a smirk as he nudged the striped hedgehog’s shoulder gently. Shadow only smirked back at him in return.

 

“Thanks.”

 

Both of their smiles turned into something sweeter, softer. They sat quiet for a while, just sipping their drinks and enjoying the moment, the silence not feeling heavy at all. It felt peaceful. If Sonic were to compare the situation, it would probably be lovers doing their separate hobbies on a lazy Sunday, simply enjoying each other’s presence in the room.

Eventually, the blue speedster decided to suggest something else.

 

“So, I don’t mean sitting like this ain’t great and all, but I really would like to watch a movie with you if you don’t mind? Before you agree or disagree I gotta warn ya: I point out and comment on nearly every single situation whenever I watch something. You like animated movies?”

 

Shadow gave him a slightly disbelieving look.

 

“My favorite type actually, but why, oh why does it not surprise me that even while watching a movie you cannot find the power in you to shut up.”

 

“Hey, don’t act like you don’t like my lovely voice!”

 

“I’ve heard better, although I must admit, you’re not half-bad,” the obsidian hedgehog said while crossing his arms.

 

Sonic walked up to the TV and soon after the movie began. It was good, Shadow had to give him that. The blue hedgehog indeed would not shut up, but to be honest, his funny comments only made the entire experience better. About half an hour into the movie, the farmer noticed how the dark hedgehog walked out of that shell he kept himself in from the rest of the world. He was happy, his smile was bright and he laughed along with Sonic whenever he made some stupid joke.

 

It all felt so right. Sonic could only wish he would get more chances to have Shadow loosen up like that.

 

Suddenly, there was a knock on Sonic’s door and both hedgehogs looked at each other in surprise. Sonic paused the movie and put his hands up the air in a gesture of surrender.

 

“Don’t look at me, I didn’t invite anybody else.”

The knocking got more persistent and with a grunt, Sonic went toward the door and opened it.

He was more shocked than ever when he saw a human man in front of his doorstep. He looked to be around middle aged for human standards. Sonic has never seen him in person, but that didn’t mean he didn’t recognize the person standing before him.

Ivo Robotnik, the founder of Eggman Enterprises.

 

“Pleasure to see you this afternoon, Mr. Sonic. I take it you have received our mail by this point? We did not receive your answer as of yet, so I came over to ask in person about your decision,” The human’s fake smile said more than a thousand words ever could, and Sonic couldn’t smile back even if he really tried.

 

Opal, noticing open doors, decided it would be a good idea to go outside and enjoy a little fresh air, but the blue hedgehog noticed and caught him, hugging the black chicken close to his chest.

 

“I have, you got that right. However, I don’t do breeding business. I have no intentions of selling fertile eggs to any company, and Eggman Enterprises is no exception. Sorry to disappoint you,” he managed to sound somewhat polite and thanked his lucky stars for Opal in his arms. Stroking the soft, shiny feathers helped him calm down.

 

“Well, maybe the price of three thousand rings per egg would make a difference to you? I know you typically refrain from selling fertile eggs, however keep in mind that we offered to be generous with our finances if you agree. Those chickens would look beautiful in my collection, and compared to the amount of profit I can make of them, thirty thousand rings seems like pocket money.”

 

Sonic winced as he imagined his friends, locked in cages… not moving their entire life, not having a name, not knowing the warmth of fingers stroking their feathers tenderly. Living a life worse than death.

 

“My answer is still no.”

 

Opal was nibbling his shirt for a while now, but suddenly a far sharper nibble overstepped Sonic’s pain tolerance.

 

“Ow, Opal, not so hard, okay? There is skin that feels pain beneath this shirt, you know,” he scolded, although his tone wasn’t rough at all. It was soft and filled with love. The blue hedgehog took a gentle hold of the upper side of the chicken’s beak and pulled it away from the throbbing area. The bird seemed to get the idea, because it started nibbling somewhere else, with less force.

 

Robotnik snorted at the sight, stroking his mustache.

 

“Opal? You must be kidding me. You give names to your livestock?”

 

Anger burned in Sonic’s emerald eyes at those words. The grip on his pet tightened.

 

“They’re not livestock, don’t call them that. They’re family and like every other family member — they have names.”

 

“Family? In case you forgot, you’re not in elementary school anymore — grow up. No wonder other companies don’t make contracts with you, you speak like a ten year old. Listen kid, I’m trying to make a deal with you, and you spit it back in my face. This was your chance to get some money for once.”

 

_Oh, hell no._

 

“Enough! Please leave, you’re not welcome here.”

 

“Stupid brat! I could have gotten so rich! You’re so gonna regret this.” Robotnik said as he walked away.

 

In the meantime, Sonic was still standing in the doorway. He continued to stroke Opal’s feathers, hoping for some comfort, but even though normally it would be enough to calm the blue hedgehog down, this time even the soft feeling on his hands couldn’t take the sadness away.

 

Tears streamed down his peach muzzle, quiet sobs leaving his mouth.

The action didn’t go unnoticed by Shadow. He got up from the couch and walked up to the other hedgehog.

 

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” His tone sounded concerned. He placed a hand on Sonic’s shoulder gently, hoping it will help the other calm down.

 

The blue hedgehog turned and squat down, gently laying the chicken on the floor. Then, he stepped inside the house, closing the door behind him.

 

“He called them livestock,” Sonic whimpered as he wiped his tears.

 

“Oh…” Shadow tried to sound understanding, but to be honest he did not exactly get what Sonic had gotten so worked up about. As sad as it was, they both were aware that to most people, chickens really are nothing more than livestock.

 

“They’re my only family; ever since my father passed away and I really got left alone in this but world, only my chickens have kept me company. Nuzzled my cheeks when I cried, slept beside me when stormy nights seemed too scary to handle. They kept happy memories with my parents alive. I will never, ever tolerate somebody looking down on them like that.”

 

Sonic looked down, not being able to bear how intense it was to stare into someone’s eyes and talk about such a sensitive topic.

 

Shadow, on the other hand… just stared at the other with worry. Finally, the blue hedgehog’s distressed mood had made sense.

 

The black hedgehog wrapped his arms gently around the other, being careful to not press him too close, but enough to still offer some comfort.

 

“I see… it must have been really lonely for you.”

 

A louder sob escaped peach lips and soon, the veterinarian felt tan hands gently returning the hug.

 

“Yeah, it was.”

 

Sonic the Hedgehog was a joker, there was no doubt about that. His happy-go-lucky attitude and confidence often annoyed the dark hedgehog. Shadow was pretty sure that the blue hedgehog’s ego needed its own zip code, too. Not even for a second did he think about how much pain the other could be carrying on those seemingly carefree shoulders.

 

“Listen, what he said was wrong. Wrong and most of all not true. You and I both know that. Who cares what he thinks? You will probably never see him again anyway. Maybe we could try finishing the movie, If you’re still up for it, that is. I just thought it might help you get your mind off of it.”

 

“Yeah,” Sonic smiled, tears completely gone from his face, “That’d be nice.”

 

“Good. In that case, play our movie and stop looking like a kicked puppy. A few more minutes of that and I might start missing that overhyped blue idiot.”

 

A sudden bright smile, confident pose and brave green eyes could only mean one thing.

 

“I knew that deep down inside you liked me!”

 

Yeah, Sonic was _definitely_ back to normal.

 

“I said ‘I might’, not that I do. Now let’s go back to our movie, I really want to see how Toothless does fish hunting.”

 

The rest of the movie went, to Shadow’s surprise, in silence. The blue hedgehog focused mostly on eating snacks from the table, laughing from time to time whenever a funny situation occurred.

At last, the movie ended, and it was time to go home.

 

The striped hedgehog got up from the couch and pulled his car keys out from his pocket.

“Okay, thank you for your hospitality. I think it’s time for me to take my leave.”

 

“Awwh, but you didn’t do your Friday check up yet!” Sonic put on a fake pout.  
  
“... Blue, you _are_ aware that weekly check ups are not necessary, right? Especially with the way you care about your pets, most of the time there really isn’t anything for me to do,” Shadow said, trying to figure out why Sonic would insist on him taking a look at his chickens.

 

Then, it was as if someone flipped a light switch in his head and he facepalmed.

 

“... Dear Chaos, you’re hopeless.”

 

“That’s me.”

 

The blue hedgehog grinned, looking like he already won this one. But oh boy, did he have another thing coming.

 

“Nice try, but no, I’m not staying longer.”

“But it worked on you before!”

 

“Well, it still does to some extent. See you next Friday, I suppose?” Shadow’s challenging smile lightened up the mood once more.

 

“Ya bet!”

 

After Shadow was gone, Sonic sped to his bedroom and jumped on the bed, ignoring the desperate creak of the wood at the sensation.

He felt so happy. He grabbed one of the pillows lying beside him and pressed it to his face. His muzzle was covered in a very deep blush, he was sure of that.

 

“I’m in love. Chaos help me, I’m in love….”

 

After that happened today, after seeing this new side to Shadow, Sonic couldn’t deny it anymore. He had fallen for that grumpy hedgehog. Hard.

Shadow’s playful side, receiving his care, enjoying simple things together… it was great and the other hedgehog seemed to enjoy it too, even so much as to make it clear that he would be fond of them spending time together again. Not just as a vet and a client, but as friends.

 

After he calmed down, he went back downstairs and opened the door to his farm again before turning around to look at his pets. They were scattered across the living room and seemed excited about open doors.

 

“Alright boys,” Sonic grinned at his flock with mischief, “Let’s run and play till we drop! Oh, and boiled pumpkin’s for dinner today!”

 

True to his word, later that same evening, boiled pumpkin was placed inside every bowl, along with scrambled eggs, sunflower seeds, and boiled cauliflower. When he was done taking all the roosters back to his house, he set the bowls in their usual spot, and after he determined that they all seemed to enjoy the meal, he moved on to repeat the process with the female section of the family.

 

The blue hedgehog grabbed the tray with the rest of the bowls and made his way to the coop.

What he saw inside nearly made him drop the tray.

 

The entire place was _filled_ with plant waste. Plastic bags occupied a lot of space, and a horrible stench surrounded the entire area. His eyes widened in horror.

_Oh no._

He opened the coop doors wide hastily.

 

“Okay ladies, today you’ll have a romantic supper under the stars! Dear Chaos, I’m so sorry, I had no idea… who could’ve done this? I would never ever put plant waste in such a spot, it’s impossible…”

 

The blue hedgehog quickly took care of removing the bags from the farm, utterly terrified and wondering _how_ in the world could something like this have happened.

 

He didn’t have to wait long for answers. As he searched through the bags, he noticed an invoice in one of them. From Eggman Enterprises….

 

“This guy is crazy! The bastard is gonna pay, I’m not sure how yet, but he will...”

 

Sonic wondered if it was a smart idea to let his hens sleep in the coop tonight. His house wasn’t big enough to fit twenty chickens but letting them stay outside for the night unsupervised also did not seem wise.

 

‘Well, too bad. Giant chicken party at my place tonight it is. I’m not taking any chances.’

 

Soon enough, his home was flooded with chickens. It actually looked kind of adorable... if only practical. Plus, it made him sad that the roosters had to be locked in the attic for the night. He enjoyed their company in the house.

 

“Well, sounds like I’m gonna be surrounded by chicks tonight,” Sonic said to himself as he pushed away the couch in order to give his animals more space.

 

‘Cleaning this up will be a pain in the ass, but definitely worth it if it means they’re all safe,’ Sonic thought and he went upstairs with an intend to take a shower and get some well deserved sleep.

 

“Night, ladies,” the blue hedgehog said before disappearing from the chickens’ view.

 

When Sonic woke up the next morning, the first thing he did was go downstairs and check up on his hens.

 

They looked… fairly normal, happy to see him and everything, but.…

One of them lay on the floor, painful chirps barely audible. She looked like she was too weak to move.

 

“No…” Sonic said, panicked, “Grape, no!”

 

He ran up to the small chicken, wanting to check her state. As soon as he ruffled her slightly, a couple of feathers fell out.

 

Oh no. Now he was going to cry.

She was paralyzed. She looked like she was in so much pain….

 

The blue hedgehog took Grape into his arms as she shivered and struggled to breathe.

Then, he ran back upstairs, grabbed the phone and dialed an already very familiar number.

 

It took a few tries, but eventually he could hear the annoyed and somewhat raspy voice of the black hedgehog from the other side.

 

“What the hell, Sonic? This better not be another prank.”  
  
“I swear it’s not!” The young farmer was pretty close to losing his mind, “Please come quick! Robotnik left plant waste in my coop yesterday and, and she’s shivering and her feathers are falling out and… Shadow, please help!”

 

Talking was a difficult task at the moment, but luckily Shadow did seem to understand him.

The black hedgehog feared the worst as a surprised gasp was his only response.

 

“Holy shit,” hearing the other hedgehog curse was rare and that only frightened Sonic more. The situation really did seem serious... ”I’m on it. Separate her from the rest of the flock, _now_.”

 

Ten minutes later, Shadow arrived and immediately noticed Sonic standing in front of the farm entrance with tears in his eyes, holding the black chicken close to his chest. He didn’t greet Shadow with his usual cheerfulness, didn’t greet him at all really. He was clutching onto the bird for dear life, not paying attention to his surroundings for even a second.

 

“It’s going to be okay Grape, I promise…  do everything I can to help you.” Sonic muttered quietly.

 

Shadow ran up to them and grabbed the animal from the cobalt hedgehog’s hands in order to check current symptoms.

And when he took a proper look at the bird, he grew terrified.

 

“Botulism,” he looked at Sonic, a dead serious expression on his face, “We need to get her to my clinic, hop on.”

The black hedgehog hastily went back to his car, the startled farmer following him.

 

“W-wha? What’s going on? Is it really bad?”

 

“Oh, you have _no_ idea. I’ll explain it on our way there, time plays a big role in this situation.”

 

“Okay.…”

 

Their drive only took five rapid minutes and Sonic was sure Shadow should get a speeding ticket for that, but he was far too grateful to complain about it.

Shadow unlocked the door to the clinic, let Sonic in and locked the door from the inside to not give any potential clients the wrong idea. He set the sick chicken on the table and looked back at Sonic.

 

“I got bad news, and… well, bad news.”

 

“Get on with it.” Sonic’s voice was cold, drained of hope.

 

“Botulism is a very dangerous condition; given how fast it’s progressing, if we don’t do something, she will die in less than three hours, judging by her current state. What’s worse, Clostridium botulinum might have spread to the rest of the flock and not only that — it’s a bacteria that is very hard to get rid of once it settles down in your coop.”

 

The cobalt hedgehog was a giant, sobbing mess by this point. He kneeled on the cold, tile floor.

“No, don’t let her die.…”

 

“I never said I will. With proper treatment it is possible to prevent it from being lethal. However, the way she is now, she needs an antitoxin. And you’re definitely not gonna like it. I do have it, but the cost for something like this is 2,500 rings… I would personally not take any money for the treatment, but I can’t hide an item worth this much suddenly going missing from my clinic. I’m so sorry, Sonic.”

Shame and pain were clear as day in Shadow’s eyes. He _hated_ these moments when he had to quantify a life in terms of rings. He hated having to do that, especially to Sonic.

 

“I don’t care! I’ll get the money, inject away. I’ll…”

 

“Sell the fertile egg?” The black hedgehog finished for him, remembering the conversation from yesterday.

 

The blue hedgehog thought his eyes couldn’t widen more, and yet it turned out to be possible.

 

‘Did I… seriously considered it an option just now?’ Sonic thought in disbelief.

 

He was speechless for a second before finally regaining his composure.

 

“But… that would ruin another chicken’s life! I can’t make a decision like this, I can’t….”

Sonic’s sobs filled the room once again and Shadow’s heart shattered to tiny pieces. Then, he made his decision.

 

The dark hedgehog kneeled in front of Sonic and put a hand on his arm.

 

“What if I bought the egg? I wanted to have a pet chicken of mine for a while now anyway, and if I were to keep it at my place, you could visit it regularly. I’ll take good care of it, I promise. You can trust me.”

 

His voice was soft, soft like silk. The blue hedgehog had never heard the other use his voice like that. It was so nice… it calmed him down.

 

“You? I guess… I guess if it’s you then it’s okay.…”

Shadow’s soft smile was the only response. He walked up to the cabinet and grabbed the required bottle of liquid.

 

“It’s settled, then.”

 

“But!” Sonic’s voice suddenly gained a lot of power and persistence, “I get to visit them as much as I want. And if I ever see any traces of abuse or neglect on them I swear I’ll kick your little, although damn nice looking ass,” Sonic finished and sniffed a little from all the crying.

 

The veterinarian smirked at that. Normally he would talk back when Sonic said things of such nature, but he decided to let it slide this time. He’s been through a lot today, pointless teasing simply seemed cruel at the moment.

 

“Deal.”

 

He watched Shadow prepare the needle and a minute later, the antitoxin was injected in the black chicken’s body.

 

“Okay, now we just wait for the magic to happen.” Shadow said in a calm voice, and Sonic already felt a little lighter. He glomped the other hedgehog with joy, much to veterinarian’s surprise.

 

“Whoa-hey! Blue!”

 

“Thank you. Thank you, thank you thank you thank you!”

 

“Don’t thank me yet. There is still much more that needs to be done. She will need antibiotics and we will have to check up on the other chickens, too. Not to mention we also need to sterilize the coop to make sure all of the bacteria is gone. Too early to celebrate if you ask me.”  
  
“But she’s going to live!” Sonic exclaimed happily and hugged the striped hedgehog a little tighter.

 

Shadow’s gaze softened and he ran his gloved hand through Sonic’s quills slowly.

“... I guess I can’t argue with that one.”

Sonic’s chuckle was the only answer.

 

“Although you know, can’t say the same about me if you keep squeezing me so hard,” the black hedgehog teased, trying to breathe.

 

“Ugh, okay, partypooper!”

The rest of the day was exactly like Shadow expected -- busy, horrible and tiring. After the antitoxin started to work and Grape began regaining her strength, both hedgehogs went back to the farm and secured the rest of the flock. Luckily, no other chickens seemed affected.

 

“We’ll give them some selenium just in case. For someone who had no idea what was going on, you handled the situation really well, I gotta admit. Grape definitely needs rest and some time alone for a while. It would also be wise to feed all of them foods rich in vitamin A, D, and E. And this,” Shadow handed the blue hedgehog a tiny bottle of pills. “This is chlortetracycline.”

 

Sonic gave him a puzzled look.

“Choco-what?”

 

The veterinarian rolled his eyes at that.

“An antibiotic to help your sick chicken, blue idiot. Make sure she takes it everyday. I will send you an e-mail with detailed instructions just in case.”

 

A wide smile finally came back to the farmer’s face and the striped hedgehog finally felt this painful weight being removed from his heart.

“Thanks, Doc. Now, this entire charade took hours and I don’t know how about you, but I am _starving_. Does anything else need our attention at the moment? I really would like to treat you to a thank-you dinner for everything you’ve done for me today.”

 

Shadow considered the proposition for a moment.

 

“As much as I would enjoy free food, I think my body will collapse on me if we decide to go anywhere. However, what I am willing to agree to is staying at my house and ordering something. Sounds good to you?”

 

The blue hedgehog was practically glowing with happiness.

 

“Yes! Give me a second though, I need to make a phone call,” Sonic ran behind his house and once he was sure no one could hear him, he dialed his friend’s number.

 

“Rouge? Remember that one time when you got drunk as hell and I helped you get back home, hooking you up with Knuckles while I was at it? You’re still feeling grateful for that, right? I need someone to babysit my 20 chickens tonight…” the blue hedgehog spoke fast, but the other mobian still understood his words.

 

And this is exactly why he heard his friend groan wearily.

 

“Sonic, what the hell?!” The female bat’s angry voice echoed in the speakers.

 

“So you agree? Thanks!”

 

One hour and one miserable bat later, both hedgehogs arrived at Shadow’s house.

It looked… fancy, with modern style clearly visible both inside and outside. White seemed to be the major color, at least at the entrance.

 

“Wow... “ Sonic looked around in awe, “being a doctor sure does pay well, huh?”

 

“You could say that, yes.”

 

After a second of looking around, Sonic noticed something very important. A litter box, food bowls, cat toys, scratch pad, cat tower… lots of shelves on walls looked like they were put there specifically with an intention of a cat walking on them.

 

“You got a cat?”

 

Shadow, who was already on his way to the kitchen, turned around to face Sonic. “Hm? Oh, yeah, Chai’s on the counter in the kitchen if you wanna meet him.”

 

Upon hearing the new information, the cobalt hedgehog made his way to the kitchen, and indeed, he noticed a European Shorthair standing on the counter, the color in his irises looking… dull. He lacked a left front paw.

 

“He’s very friendly, but try to refrain from any sudden moves; Chai’s blind, so it’s best if you start touching him slowly and softly.”

“Hey buddy, nice to meet ya,” Sonic spoke softly as he outstretched his hand to let the other animal get used to his scent.

In a matter of seconds, Chai was already nuzzling into his hand, and Sonic felt his heart warm up a little.

And judging by the happy look on the black hedgehog’s face, the warmth wasn’t unique to him.

 

“See? Told you, he’s one friendly guy.”

 

“You bet! Where did you find him anyway?”

 

“Believe it or not, he was ran over by a car _right_ in front of my house. The bastard driver ran away before I could get some intel on him, so I just rushed Chai to the clinic and brought him back to health. Well, as much as it was possible, anyway.”

 

Sonic gasped at the story. He knew he should say something, anything, but he just stared at the other hedgehog in awe.

Finally, he decided to open his mouth and say something, so as to not give the other hedgehog the impression of being ignored.

 

“... You’re such a lovely person.”

 

Oops, his heart was speaking again. Shadow’s blush confirmed that.

 

“I was just doing my job.”

 

A soft, quick chuckle was Sonic’s first reaction. He took a hold of Shadow’s arm.

 

“Of course you were. Now, let’s order something before we both pass out from hunger. Does pizza sound good enough for you?”

The change of topic seemed to bring the veterinarian back to his bold mood, if his smirk and the way he crossed his arms gracefully were anything to go by.

 

“Not too fancy, but I’m not gonna complain.”

 

“Hope you like garlic sauce on pizza, because I’m definitely ordering extra!”

 

Half an hour later, a pizza arrived and Shadow suggested they go eat on the rooftop.

 

“Stars look really great in this part of the city, I just thought it would be nice to stay in a calming area after such a long, rough day,” Shadow explained, looking slightly embarrassed.

 

They sat on the black couch when they arrived at the rooftop with their pizza and a couple of blankets. Perhaps the last few days had been really warm, but it still was September nonetheless.

 

“The view from here really is beautiful…” The blue hedgehog said in awe, eyes shining bright, much like the stars above.

 

They spent most of the night talking and Sonic learned so many things about the black hedgehog -- how he disliked spicy food, how romance was his favourite book genre, how at the age of 15 he lost his best friend….

And how dazzling his ruby eyes looked surrounded by the nightlight.

 

There was so much more to him than Sonic ever knew after all these long, five years.

And all of it was beautiful.

 

They fell asleep around three in the morning, granted Sonic remembers correctly, each in their respective rooms.

 

When the blue hedgehog woke up the next day, he decided to take an advantage of being an early bird. He prepared a hearty breakfast, making sure to make something nice for Chai, too. The friendly feline definitely seemed to appreciate the gesture, a soft purr being proof of that.

With breakfast preparations being taken care of, Sonic took both of their plates and went to Shadow’s bedroom.

 

“Hey, Doc, rise and shine. Got some tasty food waiting for ya,” Sonic greeted as he entered the room.

 

A loud, annoyed groan could be heard from the dark hedgehog.

 

“I swear, if you dare to wake me up _ever_ again for any reason other than someone being in mortal danger…”

 

A plate with steamy food was suddenly placed in front of Shadow’s face. The black nose twitched a few times and veterinarian’s features softened.

 

“Oh, that’s nice actually.”

 

“Told ya!”

 

Shadow sat up on his bed and put the plate on his lap. Sonic sat next to him and did the same.

 

“So, I see you’ve already made yourself feel at home in here, or at least in my kitchen…”

 

Sonic grinned sheepishly and scratched his ear, “Well… you could say that. But honestly I just wanted to do something nice for you for everything you’ve done for me.”

 

“Fair enough and besides, this omelette is really nice, thank you.”

 

“Anytime, Stripes.”

 

 They ate in silence until Sonic decided to speak up again.

 

“So, Shads, I wanted to talk to you about something…”

The blue hedgehog looked bashful all of a sudden.

 

“Go on.” Shadow tried to hide his puzzlement at the sudden change in Sonic’s attitude.

 

“So, you know how we’ve known each other for super long and stuff?”

 

“... Yeah?”

 

Shadow felt he knew where this was going but decided to not let the other go.

 

“Well, I was just thinking. If you’re up for it… I was wondering if you would, you know… give me, us, a chance.”  
  
The black hedgehog opened his mouth to speak.

 

“You don’t have to give me an answer right now! I think you are a great person and I want to be by your side regardless of your decision, but just so you know, it would be kinda cool if we could try… dating. And stuff.”

 

A black hand moved to stroke other’s blue ear softly, which caused a faint blush to appear on Sonic’s muzzle.

 

“Yeah,” Shadow said, a small smile on his face, “We could.”

 

Sonic had smiled in front of him so many times already. But not once was there this much sunshine in it. The pure joy, pure love radiated off of him.

 

Well, that and typical blue idiot excitement.

 

“Really?!”

 

“Yeah.”  
  
“Like really really?!”

 

“... Don’t make me change my mind.”

 

“So like, if I tried to kiss you right now, would you let me?”

Green, hopeful, happy eyes waited for an answer.

 

“Hm…” Shadow thought about it for a moment and after a while, there was a nod.

It was all Sonic needed really.

 

Slowly, gently, the blue hedgehog cupped the sides of the other’s face and their lips met in a soft kiss.

 

It was slow and filled with love; it felt like butterfly wings softly flapping against their lips.

Sonic felt the other smile into the kiss and pull him closer. It felt so right.

 

This was the new beginning for both of them. Hesitantly, but happily, they entered their new path together.

 

Some say that the golden leaves of fall are a sign of things coming to an end. For Sonic, they were a sign of a new life and exciting beginnings.

 

Fin


End file.
